


Tagged

by wumpusandzandii



Series: Tagged [1]
Category: TMNT - Fandom, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Bay Movies), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Good Parent Splinter (TMNT), Human Donatello (TMNT), Human Leonardo (TMNT), Human Michelangelo (TMNT), Human Raphael, Human Splinter, Human Turtles (TMNT), Human/Turtle Relationships (TMNT), hamato yoshi - splinter, tagged, wumpusandzandii
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-19 14:17:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17602919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wumpusandzandii/pseuds/wumpusandzandii
Summary: Graffiti artist and professional dancer Zandii tries to show her appreciation for NY's vigilantes by spreading their family tag, when she can escape her terrible job, that is. Michelangelo happens upon her work in progress, and quickly runs into more trouble than he could imagine.





	1. Breaking the Law

After clocking out of the club, making sure to let the others know she was out before the evening shift, Zandii quickly made her escape before her boss could say otherwise. Even after being there for months - or was it years? she lost count - he was still determined to treat her like bar staff and his lackey. There was only so much she could do and she wasn't prepared to work three jobs while getting paid for one. 

Grabbing her rucksack and skateboard, she snuck out the service entrance into the alley and was pleasantly surprised by the sun. Running a hand through her messy pink hair, tucking it beneath her SnapBack cap, she sighed. Stepping on to her board and rolling off with a lazy kick, she headed out. Avoiding the main streets, taking any and all shortcuts and tracks away from those too-important-people who didn't want to move an inch over, she made her way to her favourite spot. An old run-down concrete skatepark beneath an overpass. It wasn't much but it was enough to feel freedom for a few. 

Greeted by the usual scruffy teens, Zan leapt up on to a ramp and surveyed her small grey kingdom. "Might wanna watch it today gurl, cops been circlin' today..." Kenny mumbled nonchalantly, filter between his lips as he rolled a cigarette. 

"That wouldn't have anything to do with you dealing would it?" she asked, sniggering a little as he threw her a look. 

"Never." 

Rolling her eyes, she reached into her bag and brought out a spray can, checking it was the right colour before shaking it through. "Well, if you're stayin' keep an eye out...kinda wanted to continue with that mural I started..." 

It was that that made him pause and look up at her fully, a thick brow raised beneath his dark hair. "You really need to quit that, it's gonna get you in shit..." 

What she had started had been found and painted over multiple times by either cops of local gangs, a mural for the vigilante of the city. She changed her design for it often but now she was sure she had it, after studying those damn symbols for so long...

With a confident smile on her studded lips she kicked off on her board again, gliding around Kenny as he continued to ramble at her. "If you're gonna be a pussy, fine, I'll go by myself," she grinned, his exasperated sigh only making her chuckle. She was determined to spread the tag, almost as her small way to get back at the Foot clan, and it was also an excuse to practice her graffiti lines.

Snatching up her bag that held the rest of the colour sprays, she set off - not without a few tricks along the rails - weaving in and out of the other skaters. It wasn't far, just a little too far for Kenny and his friends to want to follow. His heavy bagged eyes watched her go and he blew his hair out of his eyes with a shake of his head. "Crazy bitch..."

*****

Extraordinary things are always hiding in places people never think to look.

His Master's words kept rolling through his head, along with the sentiment that a ninja's true challenge was to hide in plain sight. Blending in. He held to it to a certain point, but he always ended up connecting with people. It was just who he was. He could always blend into a group of people, but inevitably, he always wound up drawing too much attention. It was why his brothers always wound up using him as a distraction, if they needed it.

He couldn't be mad, though. He loved getting to know people, interacting with them. Out of all of them, he was the only "social butterfly," which often left him feeling alone and like something was missing. Especially on that day. Raph was off spending time with Stacey and Sera, as hard as it still was for him to wrap his mind around that fact that his brother was a father. They were good for him, he couldn't deny it, and oh, that little girl was adorable. It was still a bit weird, though.

Leo was either off meditating or something else honorable, no doubt. All he knew is that he wasn't in his face and demanding yet another training session, so he had slipped away while he had the good fortune to. Donnie was in his lab, because that's where Donnie always was when there weren't any training or patrols. Working on something brilliant that they'd all come to depend on, he had no doubt. He felt a pang of guilt as he kicked his normal skateboard into his hand, that he wasn't using the rocket-powered one he had designed specially for him... but he wanted to blend in that day. Just be one of the normal kids for a little while.

Well, maybe not so normal that he didn't get in some parkour on the way to his skatepark of choice for that day. It was a lot more fun when Leo wasn't along, correcting every tiny detail so he could really push it. He had a few local haunts, and he decided to hit one of the smaller, more real skateparks. Run down and almost hidden, some of the sweetest shit he had ever seen went down there. Also some of the sketchiest, but sometimes he took care of that after hours.

He made his way around the rails, taking it easy for the most part, and observing. Chatting with a few people here and there, giving some young kids a few pointers and brightening their day as he cheered them on. It was the little things, and you never knew just what kind of difference it might make to someone. Their smiles were all it took to keep him doing it. On the far side, he rolled up to his favorite part of that particular park. Someone with some killer skills had been keeping up a mural... with their symbol. His tag. Family.

It was always getting defaced one way or another, but it was always fixed eventually, and improved on. He never got lucky enough to figure out who was doing it, in his mind it was some young kid, an admirer. So when he rolled up a ways away and saw a girl at the wall, he assumed it was one of the people defacing it and his heart sank. Working his way closer slowly, still blending in, he snuck looks over until he tripped up on the halfpipe.

It was him. Her. The person. The artist. Whatever.

Pink hair peeking out of her hat, hand on her hip and a can shaking in the other, he could see the fresh paint on the symbol in front of her. She was fixing it. SHE. A girl! Did that mean that his admirer was a girl? Or maybe she just liked the tag. No. She came back too often and put too much care into it for it to be just that. But why? What did she think? What was her name? 

A million questions bounced excitedly off the insides of his head until someone shouted at him to get off the ramp, and he realized that he had simply sat where he had fallen to contemplate it... and her. He had to know more.

"Dude! Seriously...it ain't a fuckin' bench..." Shaking his head with the faint chuckling and jeering behind him, Kenny huffed heavily as the blonde eventually looked up. A foot on his board, ready to drop in, he raised his brows expectantly and groaned when he eventually scrambled to his feet. "Idiot..." he sneered as he obnoxiously sped past, close enough to knock him down if he really wanted to. 

Oblivious to what was going on, Zandii continued to spray, angling the can to get a thicker lines and colour larger areas. Every new mark created a new piece, making the mural once again expand and evolve over the blank wall. It's vibrant colours of orange, pink and yellow stood out almost like a beacon in the sun. It lifted her spirits, a nice change from the repetitive red light district vibe she had at work.

Placing the can down, wiping the paint leaked that leak from the nozzle on to her scruffy skinny jeans, she huffed as her mop of long hair was starting to escape her cap. Removing it, she decided now was time to fully tame it, looping it up into a messy bun to keep it out of her face. Stepping back as she did so she could admire her work so far, she smiled to herself and tilted her head. "So far good..." she mumbled to herself, picking up the next can - a black for the outlines - shimmying as she began to shake it up again.

Mikey was aware of how close the taunting skater was as he rushed past, years of reflex training saw to that. He simply couldn't be bothered to move away any faster, his attention was elsewhere. Dropping his skateboard to the ground once he was off the ramp, he forced himself to continue blending in, but never losing tabs on her as he weaved her direction.

Slowing down as he neared, he skipped off the board and openly gawked. The bright colors of the mural struck a chord in him, but still paled in comparison to finally seeing the person he had been curious about for so long. Mesmerized, he watched as she took off her hat and messily pulled it back... only to start doing a content little dance as she shook her next can up.

It was too much. He couldn't blend any more. His curiosity and interest got the better of him and he decided he had to talk to her. But what to say? Compliment her? Because hell, she was hot. Ask her about the work? But how could he go about it without seeming to directly interested in the symbol and not her as well?

Taking off his own hat, he ran a hand through his messy mop of blonde hair (he could almost hear Leo in his head telling him to get a haircut) and strolled over with his skateboard over his shoulder. A grin stretched across his face as he got closer, he couldn't help it. He was so excited to finally meet the artist and see her at work.

"Hey there," he said coming up behind her, his voice friendly and as exuberant as he felt. "Damn, that is sick as hell, girl!"

Before she could press down on the nozzle to spray again, she paused and listen to the voice behind her. For a split second she thought it was some undercover cop, someone who had slipped passed Kenny and others without them realising, as his voice wasn't familiar. Glancing over her shoulder, she was surprised to meet a pair of blue eyes gazing at her. And they were blue, insanely so, in fact she thought they had to be contacts or something. 

Beaming a wide grin happily, she stepped back so she could face him and bit her lip, trying to tame her prideful expression a little. "Thanks man, it's been an ongoing thing...been fuckin' painted over enough times, heh..." A little awkward, having never been directly spoken to about it, always having 'awesome' and 'sweet' thrown her way as people skated by. "..I'm determined to get it done today though." Preferably before work, but that was wishful thinking. 

Glancing up at him again, she took the time to adjust her messy hair again, forever playing with it as its neon pink curls never seemed to be tamed. Flipping it over one shoulder she braided it into a loose but tidy fishtail, avoiding the strings of her strap crop top. Tilting her head with a giggle, she followed his gaze to wall, having lost him to the colours and patterns again. "Uh....hello?"

He was overwhelmed in the best way. It wasn't often that he was rendered speechless, as a matter of fact he was certain his brothers would say it was was downright impossible. The excitement of meeting the person who was spreading their tag paled in comparison to her work, and well... her. He had been staring at her until her green eyes flickered up to him, contrasted starkly with the pink hair she was arranging, and had quickly let his attention get drawn back to the wall. It wouldn't do well to look like a creeper, and it was easy enough to get wholly distracted in the intricate designs and colors.

Her giggle drew his attention back to her, and the way she tilted her head and looked at him caused him to blush slightly. Giving her a lopsided grin and a laugh, he dropped his board against the wall out of the way and put his hands on his hips. "Yeah, I've been keeping an eye on it. I noticed people kept fuckin' with it. Damn shame, really," he said, meaning every word of it. He ruffled a hand through his hair again before plopping his hat back on backwards. "If you're set on gettin' it done today, maybe I could give you a hand? I mean, you know, if you want. I dunno if I'm as good as you, but I follow orders."

Clicking his heels together and raising a hand to his forehead in an exaggerated salute, he grinned and gave her a wink.

Licking a lip as she thought, looking back to the mural with squinted eyes of determination, she let out a hum as she pondered. Having help would get it done sooner, but she was curious to see what skills he had. Handing over a spray can, the cap being as neon as her eyes, she rested her other hand on a jutted hip. 

"Alright, sure a hand would be good, but...show me what you got first?" Pointing to the scruffy looking patch of wall next to her own mural, she couldn't help but smirk a little with slightly flushed cheeks. She wasn't about to let his charm and gorgeous smile throw her, otherwise she'd be poor at her job. However it was difficult, that smile of his made her stomach fill with butterflies and she couldn't bring herself to stare him out that long. 

She had no idea at that moment she was speaking to one of the original tag artists of the city, in fact, the very one she was doing it for. The possibility it could be him hadn't even crossed her mind, in all honesty. Part of her though was expecting him to be some arrogant tool who prided himself on showing off. She was used to it. Men throwing around their "talent" trying to get it for free. Caught in her own thoughts and memories, she absentmindedly rolled her eyes a little, hopefully he didn't notice....

As he took the can and shook it, she stepped over to the wall with him then rested against back against one of the large overpass pillars, folded arms across her arms as she waited to see what he had to offer. "Show me what you got, cutie."

Mikey wasn't stupid, he knew what guys could be like a lot of the time, especially in that kind of environment. Lots of testosterone, lots of showing off, plenty of challenging. To have an obviously talented girl come into the field would only push the insecure douchewads of the group into being an obvious, showy dick. He didn't take it personally when he noted her brief eye roll, it just set it in him to prove to her that they weren't all like that. 

Crouching in front of the wall, he brushed the outside of his forearm across it, knocking off the obvious bits of dirt and debris. Contemplating the space, and brushing at it absently with his calloused hand, he wondered at what he should do. Part of him wanted to do something specifically for her, as she had been doing unknowingly for him. But the other part of him wanted to add that tag. Maybe he could do both...

"You mind?" he asked, keeping his kneeling position but stretching back across to her to snag her bag, lifting an eyebrow with a small grin as she looked down at him and shrugged. Pulling out pink, orange and black to go with the green she had tossed him, he set to work quickly. Green tendrils curving up from the ground, he set the layered base before moving onto mixing the pink and orange like he was blending oil paint on a canvas.

Quite appropriately, the design grew quickly, and before too long, he had successfully painted out a stylized lotus, green surrounding pink and orange petals, with the main petal of the center designed into his tag, family . He was wholly into it and couldn't peel his eyes off as he chewed his lip, moving onto the black for contrasting outlines, expertly placed. Everything about it just felt right, the flower growing out of the dirty wall, just like the actual one grew out of the muck. Just like she shined in the dim, concrete background that surrounded her. As well as the peace his family tried to bring to the darkest parts of the city. Sitting back on his haunches, he pulled his cap back off and buried his hand in his hair, looking over it with pride.

Remembering that she was watching, he looked up with hopeful eyes, tossing the black can back up at her.

With each stroke of colour, she followed his hand, every curl leading to another beautiful wave. She couldn't peel her eyes away the whole time he was working and it was enchanting almost to see someone so full of wonderful talent and creativity. The way he just began working and pulled the design out of thin air made her heart flutter a little. It was such an amazing change from the same repetitive shit she saw at work. 

As the fiery orange blended against the pink, carefully controlled by the black lines, her eyes lit up as she stood back to get the full image in one hit. It was so vibrant and flowed perfectly along the wall as if it was almost plastered just for that to be painted there. If it wasn't for the double take she would have missed the can, but luckily she grabbed it after nearly failing miserably.   
With a wide grin on her face, she nodded and let out a small giggle, not at him, but more with him in excited surprise. "Wow...that's so gorgeous...I'd kill to have that kinda thing in my apartment...." Gazing at him happily, she held out her hand to pull him to his feet then handed the bag full of other paint colours and sprays to him. "Care to lend some of that talent over to me?" Keeping her hands on the bag as well as his own, she raised a brow curiously and bit her lip, her smile still very much present.

Grin stretching from ear to ear as he saw her smile, he held onto her hand as he rose to his feet but didn't put any leverage on her. As she pressed the bag to him, he rested his other on top of hers and gave it a friendly squeeze. There wasn't a chance in the world that he would've turned down her offer, but as she quirked an eyebrow and bit her lip, something inside of him positively melted.

Unlike most, that was Mikey in his element. Where most would get nervous and clam up, his charm and gregarious nature surged forth, and he had never even attempted to stop it. It was just who he was, and he rolled with it. "I would be totally stoked to lend you any of my talents," he offered with a mischievous smile. Before her expression could drop and think he was simply being lewd instead of playful, he continued. "I mean, I play a mean game of checkers, or you got an eating contest to win, I'm your guy. Or you know, defacing of apartment walls."

Hearing him accept so enthusiastically, her smile turned into a cheesy grin, her dimples making it seem just that little wider with her eyes creasing with it a little too. As he began to ramble however, she giggled and shook her head, stepping back to pull him back toward her own mural. "I'm sure I could hire you out for something..." she winked playfully, letting her hand slip from his hand as she turned back to the wall.

Resting her hands on her hips as she looked up, she gestured with her hands what she had thought up while watching him create his own piece of art. Talking with her hands, waving and swaying with the notions of the colours she mentioned, she looked back to him hoping he fully understood what her wild gestures were implying. He seemed to know though. Those bright blue eyes followed her every point, his body almost going with the flow of her movement. It was charming. 

"So you got it right? Or...do you have better ideas?" she chirped, raising her pierced brow again, running her hands through her mane of pink waves and curls.

"Better ideas," he scoffed, shouldering the bag and tossing a can at her playfully. "Angelcakes, I don't think it's possible to come up with any better ideas than the ones that come out from under that gorgeous pink hair. You bet I got this." 

Giving her a wink, he flipped some hair back over her shoulder, finding himself unable not to touch it. If he was being honest, he was dying to know if it smelled like cotton candy, but he figured dipping his nose in there would be pushing it. She was being playful and he liked that. He really liked that. Rattling his can, he stepped forward and started spraying as she had directed.

It wasn't long before his curiosity got the best of him. He never was the patient sort, no matter what Sensei tried drilling into him. He'd mostly given up the battle, saying that he was pleased that at least if he was going to blurt things, they were honest and rarely harmful. Clearing his throat and glancing at her over his outstretched arm, he just went for it. "So uh, what makes you pick this design, uh... oh gosh, I didn't even introduce myself. This'd be the part where my bro cuffed me across the head," he chuckled, blushing a little at the realization. "I'm Mikey. What kinda gorgeous moniker are you carrying to match yourself?"

Catching the can he had tossed over to her, she admired for a moment how confident and eager he seemed with helping. Genuinely helping. Not trying to worm his way in, in any way that seemed remotely creepy or a quick 'you owe'. Maybe it was because he didn't know her, or what her work was. Too often guys would try and get a freebie. 

The slight break of his confidence as he asked for her name made her pierced lips curve into a bright and bashful smile. "Zandii, jus' call me Zan though...or Pinkie is what they call me at work...." It was too adorable, that cheeky grin he adorned was complete with dimples and it made her giddy, and so she but her lip to try and control her smile before she looked a little too smiley for it to be flattering. No use looking like a blushing school girl. 

Before she sprayed her first line after the small break, she looked up at the symbol on the wall as she replied, "...and well, I thought I'd try and show my appreciation to the vigilante… or vigilantes, whatever you wanna believe." Shrugging playfully with a small smile, she ran a hand along the orange and red fiery strikes close to the kanji. "Thanks to them I've felt safer when I walk home from work in the morning, and after hearing so much about them from the news and stuff… just felt like it, just hope they see it. It's my thank you, I suppose?" 

Being so happily distracted by the bubbly blonde she had just met, she hadn't realised her time was beginning to run short, not only with her break but with how long she could go without being caught. With her lookout at the skatepark gone as well, it was only a matter of minutes. Turning to Mikey after working a little more, she reluctantly asked after flicking her tongue against her lip, "So, have you heard about the vigilantes?"

Allowing himself to bask in her smile, he rolled her name around in his head. Zan. Zandii. It was different. The good kind. Though he wasn't sure about the Pinkie... it just seemed too simple and didn't do her any service. Sure, it described her hair. But she was obviously so much more than that. So much deeper that Pinkie was literally just scratching the surface. He dismissed it and decided he'd use any nickname he could just to make her smile like that again.

Listening as she described the vigilantes... really, what he and his brothers did, and hearing that it made her feel safe and that she appreciated it... he had to focus on spraying for a minute to gather himself. It was generally a thankless job, and contentious at best. They were either touted or ripped apart by the news. Either way, they rarely got to stick around to see the appreciation, if it existed in the first place. It was a lift he didn't even know he needed, and he pinched his lip ring against his teeth to keep himself from just spilling the truth to her right away. 

"Who hasn't?" he chuckled, clearing his throat to take the nervous edge out of his tone. He racked his brain to try and think of a response that didn't sound self serving. "That's awesome that they've made you feel safer, near as I can tell they don't get a lot of thanks on the news. Except channel 6 with that O'Neil chick. She's got her head on straight. I bet that if they saw, it they'd really appreciate.... oh shit."

He had finally looked up and caught movement out of the corner of his eye and his reflexes kicked in. Light glinted off the person's chest and it took him mere seconds to determine it was the police and he had little time to react. He knew they were spotted, but at the angle the officer was coming from, only he was visible. It wasn't dark enough for him to make any kind of covert escape, but he had just enough time to get her out of there, and the last thing he wanted was for her to get caught for thanking him. That would be stupid.

Locking the bag of paint onto his shoulder, he reached over, took her can and moved her more out of his angle of view. "Go. You need to go. Now. Cops. They haven't seen you. I got this. Go!"

Startled at first as she hadn't seen the lights and him grabbing and moving her aside, she just stared at him before it clicked together. A heavy groan left her lips and a grimace took hold of her smile. Cursing under her breath, knowing she really didn't need to be caught, especially on her break, even if it was a job she despised. She needed the money and it came it quick. 

Keeping as out of view as she could, she grabbed her skateboard and darted around the corner into a small path that lead away from the underpass. Before she leapt into a full sprint she paused, a little torn and her feet weighted with guilt. How could she let this guy take the rap for her? It wasn't fair. Plus, he had her bag...it wasn't important, but still. Biting her lip hard, the sound of the cop car door slamming shut and the officers barking their orders to the blonde pushed her on. She had to get back to work, anyway. 

From the skatepark, Kenny and a few of the other skaters had taken cover and watched from out of sight. A few jeered at Mikey and others threw insults toward the so-called 'pigs'. Kenny however, had seen Zandii escape back to street, and after the earlier stand off he couldn't have cared less. However, he knew how much she took pride in her mural, and now that her paint had been taken she'd have less time to work before it was covered over again. Especially now the cops had seen it. 

"Hope you've got some good friends..." Tightening the handcuffs roughly on to Mikey's wrists with a scowl, one of the police officers shook their head as they looked down at him, albeit a little surprised at how calm and accepting he was. They were used to chasing down his type through alleys or along the waterfront. Pushing him into the back of the car, both cops glanced at each other, still a little lost, especially when he seemed to shrug it off with a smirk.

***


	2. Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikey gets processed for vandalism, and calls his favorite sibling for a bailout.

As the door slammed shut, Mikey tried shifting to sit so that the cuffs didn't dig in so badly between his back and the seat, but found little respite. Once the cops weren't looking, he let his head drop back, thunking it against the headrest. He didn't have an ounce of regret, but there was a certain amount of trepidation as he considered his situation. The car began to move and he sat back up, looking out the window and ignoring the chatter from the front seat. He'd heard the list of rights spoken plenty of times from the shadows as they left criminals to be caught and brought in by the police. He knew he wasn't obligated to say anything at that time, and for once in his life, he didn't feel the need to.

They'd process and book him when they got there, but it wasn't a big enough offense to keep him locked up. They'd have him call someone and release him, pay a fine. Who would he call? He had just gotten caught vandalizing, which wasn't awful really, but he was certain the fact that the "vigilante symbol" would be brought up. And he'd have some explaining to do, because they'd know he wasn't just out doing that in broad daylight. Not that he minded. He just had to think of who would understand best that he wouldn't let an incredible girl, out thanking them in the best way she could, take the hit for that.

Sensei would understand but he really didn't want time in the hashi, which he knew he'd get regardless. Leo was out of the question, just no. Donnie might understand, but would cave if Leo or Splinter prodded too hard. But Raph, now Raph always did have a soft spot for him. Always looking out for him. He'd be mad and disappointed, sure... but if he brought Stacey along that would temper that. Besides, it wasn't like he'd never done anything stupid for her. He'd understand, ultimately.

His smirk had returned by the time they pulled up at the station, and having that settled, his thoughts wandered to how he'd find Zandii again. He wished he'd had time to ask where she lived or worked, but he had a name and his brother had found more with less information before. There would just have to be the right kind of bribe to get him to help out. Maybe he'd try searching on his own first, asking around the skate park. 

They marched him roughly through the doors, trying to make him stumble but his grin widened as his training worked as a reflex and kept him upright. He wasn’t giving them the pleasure, not that day. Taking him and his wallet to the booking desk, he cringed as her bag was hauled off to custody, though mildly grateful he hadn't had his chucks on him. Still, it was hers and he'd do his best to replace it.

"Hamato, Michelangelo?" the booking officer said, and he focused on the woman in front of him. Fairly severe looking with golden eyes and short dark hair, she also had a prominent scar across her chin and lips. 

"That's me," he said, settling crossways into his seat.

Her scrutinizing gaze moved from his ID to him, and eyebrow arched. "Are you certain? This isn't a fake? Because you look neither Italian nor Japanese."

"I'm adopted. It’s a family thing. Really good food though, what can I say?" he answered lightly with a shrug. He tried not to chuckle as she rolled her eyes and shook her head, continuing to enter his information into the computer. He didn't realize he had started humming and bouncing his head until her sharp eyes locked on him again.

"You could stop that," she said, with controlled irritation that vaguely reminded him of Leo. "I'm done entering you into the system. You can make your phone call, then we'll process your prints."

"Sweet," he responded, ignoring her comment and continuing to hum, earning himself a frustrated sigh. He rolled his shoulders as his cuffs were unlocked and moved in front of him to be relocked so he had limited use of his hands. They led him over to a pay phone, a relic, and he didn't hesitate before dialing and cradling the phone against his shoulder, still humming as it rang.

"Hello?" came Stacey's voice, soft babbling and the crash of toys being knocked together in the background. Thinking of his niece spread his smile out wider.

"Heeeey, who's my favorite sister?" he greeted, expecting the sigh he received in response.

"As I'm attached to your favorite brother, I'm gonna hazard a guess that it's me," she answered sardonically. "I don't recognize the number, Mikey. What's up?"

"Well, see, I only have a minute... probably more like 40 seconds now, and-"

"Oh my god, Michelangelo, what did you do?" 

"Nothing! Nothing! It's just uhh, you think you can Raph could come pick me up down at the station?" he answered, clearing his throat.

"Oh my god, Mikey," she repeated, with a mirthless chuckle. "I don't believe... yeah, we'll be down there. Just keep your mouth shut and stay out of more trouble, would you?"

"Will do, sis! And-" The rest of his sentence was cut off as the officer next to him took the receiver and hung it up, hauling him off for fingerprints. He gave the booking officer a little finger wave on the way past, earning himself another eye roll.

***

Settling Sera, chewing on a plastic wrench, onto her hip, Stacey wandered back to the weight room. Raph was expectedly lifting on the bench, which she gave herself a moment to enjoy watching before she noticed Leo training with a dummy further off. Clearing her throat softly enough that only Raph would hear it, she tossed him a towel with her free hand. "Can I grab you for a sec?"

If he hadn't had the joy of having his brother in the same room as him, Raphael would have had his headphones on, blaring, heaving bass lines and aggressive lyrics no doubt pushing him through his workout. However, he had to keep tabs on the other in the room. Leo had a nasty habit of throwing a star or swinging a low kick, keeping each of them on their toes for those 'unexpected attacks' they never seemed to encounter anymore. 

Luckily, the hogosha seemed to be smiling down upon him today, gracing him with his wife and daughters presence. Lifting the weighted bar back on*to the stand, he sat up and gratefully took the towel to wipe his face and neck off. Sweat rolled down his bare chest as he stood up, hooking a finger into his waistband to keep his sweat pants from falling too low. Not that he cared or that she minded at all. Shaking his locks out of their ponytail, he sauntered over with the towel resting on his shoulders. 

"Sure thing, wassup babe?" Greeting them both with a wide grin, he softly placed a kiss on top of Sera's head, careful not to stand too close to smother her sensitive nose.

"Daddeeee!" Sera cooed cheerfully, in a phase that she elongated the end of names as such. Pointing at the weight rack, her round face twisted up into her "monster smile" and she declared, "Raaaawr!"

Looking Raph up and down with her teeth digging into her lower lip, Stacey contemplated for a brief moment letting Mikey sit down at the station for a while to soak up his consequences. She dismissed it quickly enough, but let the thought linger. She was a lucky woman and she knew it. Reaching out and giving Raph's work hardened bicep a squeeze, she laughed and nuzzled into Sera's neck, agreeing with a "Raaaawr!" of her own. 

It earned her the scoff and shake of his head that she expected, but she saw the smile he was failing at hiding. Pressing onto her tiptoes, she angled in to give him a brief kiss, using the close quarters to speak to him as quietly as possible. "We've got something we need to go take care of, but we can't talk about it here." She leaned back just enough to let her eyes flicker over his shoulder to Leo and back to him.

He caught on quickly, giving a brief nod then a small peck on to her lips. Though she didn't seem to be anxious or worried, no real concern on her face, she was excellent at hiding it when she needed to. Aside from times she was extremely riled up, anyway, which even then was rare. 

Leo was no push over. He knew when something was up. If he caught on, he would want to know. It was part of his nature as a leader, and needing that sense of control. Distracted with his own work out, Raph used his girls as the excuse he so desperately needed to finish his for the day. He had a family, and it was important that they came first. Leo understood that more than anyone, his honour never let him forget it, so he'd understand if he used this.

"Well, I'm done now, I can take my girls shoppin' now… sound good?" With a confident wink he knew she'd act accordingly. "Let me jus' grab a shirt and we'll go." Brushing past her carefully, his hand lingering to stroke down her arm as he went, linking his fingers with her to pull her along with him. Once they were out in the hall with the door slid shut behind them, he turned to her and his warm fatherly smile faded a little to his naturally more stern expression. "What's wrong? Did somethin’ happen?" He asked in a low tone, still conscious they could be heard, not that he really knew why it was important.

Giving his hand a squeeze before she pulled it away to shift Sera on her hip, she shook her head with her features twisting into a disagreeing expression. "No one is hurt," she answered quickly and quietly, allaying that fear right off the bat. She was keenly aware that would be his first concern, and did her best to diffuse it immediately. "It's Mikey, he-"

Sera's eyes went wide at the name, dimples flashing as she wound up to crow, "Miii-"

Stacey's eyes went even wider, and she reflexively clapped a hand over their daughter's mouth to smother the rest of the name she knew would be loud and drawn out. "Oh no, silly girl, that's not yours," she answered smoothly, playing it off conversationally like she had been demanding something. Taking a quick look up and down the hall, she tossed her head in a beckoning gesture and strode purposefully but not too quickly to the area they shared at the lair and set about changing Sera's diaper to keep everything looking normal.

Raph followed her in and closed the door behind him, folding his arms after tousling his locks, as was his agitated habit. "What about him?" he asked, and she could tell that he was deliberately keeping the demanding edge off the question, for her sake. It didn't offend her, she was keenly aware that it was all borne of concern.

"He called for us, specifically ," she answered, avoiding getting kicked by the giggling Sera. "He's fine. He's just..." She exhaled heavily before continuing. "Down at the station."

Well if that didn't set off alarm bells, nothing would. Mikey was known for getting into trouble, either starting it or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It wasn't anything unusual to hear, but actually being caught and turned into the cops? That was different. If it was serious, it could possibly jeopardize all of them. 

Inhaling deeply, almost holding his breath, he grit his teeth to hold back any curse words he might spew in front of Sera. Closing his eyes for a moment to focus again, he asked in a low growl, almost hissing through his teeth. "What’s he done? How bad is it?" His tone caught the attention of his daughter, who gave him a slight nervous glance already know her father didn't sound happy. Quickly noticing, he stepped closer, gently stroking her curled hair then allowing her to grasp his finger with a content giggle. 

"Am I gonna have to induce some memory loss or is it just a case of me kicking his ass?”

Finishing up with diaper, Stacey patted Sera's bottom and smiled softly at the two of them. "It can't be very bad. They're releasing him, he isn't being held. He actually sounded in pretty good spirits, aside from the sucking up," she let out a small breath of amusement. "If it was really bad, he'd have sucked it up and called Leo or your dad. If it was a tough situation or wrongly accused or something, he would've called Donnie to sort it out. He called us, which means he knows he did whatever it is, it isn't that bad, and he figures it's worth your ass kicking to keep it under wraps."

Picking Sera up and giving her a playful swoop over her head, she faux scowled at her, lowering her voice. "And he probably thinks I'll keep daddy from getting too mad, huh? Silly uncle forgets I'll have words, too, doesn't he?"

"Daddeeeeee!" Sera giggled, batting at her mother before reaching out for him.

Grudgingly, he accepted that she had a pretty good point. He felt a little flattered if he was being honest, that he - out of his brothers and even father - was called, rather than anyone else. He felt trusted enough and he was glad of it. Glad too that Mikey felt comfortable enough to call his wife also. However, as flattered as he was, that still didn't overcome the disappointment and anger he still felt. 

As he heard the sweet little call of Sera, the glare that his face had scrunched into while thinking a little too hard about the situation, quickly brightened into a wide grin as he stepped closer. "Hey princess, you wanna cuddle your smelly papa, huh?" Chuckling deeply, he slid her carefully into his broad arms and cradled her close to his chest. "We don't mind smelly now do we? Hm?" He cooed happily, allowing his daughter to gum and tug on his fingers as he wiggled them around her face. 

“You always think you’re smelly, but I beg to differ,” Stacey commented with a sly half grin, brushing past Raph on her tiptoes, giving the nape of his neck a brief sniff before kissing it gently. Taking a few steps to the side, she pulled off the baby food stained t-shirt and tossed it into their hamper. “Frankly, if we didn’t have your meddling kid brother to pick up, I for sure wouldn’t be putting a shirt back *on* with you looking and smelling like you do right now.”

It took a moment to register what she implied, and as he peeled away his adoring gaze from the bright amber eyes of his little girl, he huffed up a small chuckle. With a quirked brow, he shook his head a little. "Damn, you really never stop with that spice do ya, angel?" He growled deeply at her, chuckling again as he pressed his scarred lips against her forehead. "I'll be sure to take you up on that too, payback is surely due now for that boy." 

Lifting Sera up into his arms upright and more securely, he playfully huffed and gave her a lopsided smile. "Guess we better go get 'im then, huh?" As she babbled and giggled, he lightly kissed her head of curled hair again before turning back to his wife. "Mount 'er up then, I'll grab my jacket and boots," he sighed while carefully handing the little one back over, sliding out of the room quickly and stealthily. 

She watched him go before turning her attention back to Sera and moving towards the car seat. "You are seriously hampering my motorcycle time, kiddo," she teased, fighting the squirming child into the carrier under the straps and buckles. She loved going but she hated being restrained, which really wasn't a big surprise, after all. Whispering, she leaned in. "Behave and you get to see Uncle Mikey, hmm?"

As she suddenly became giggly and more cooperative, honestly only understanding "uncle Mikey" but it doing the trick, Stacey sighed and wished she could leave her under her grandfather's care for this particular trip. He would graciously accept, it was easy to see she was a soft spot of his, but he'd also have too many questions. She grabbed a clean shirt from the dresser and tugged it on before picking up the carseat. Moving less quietly than Raph, but doing her best, she followed him out of the room and headed for her own jacket and boots, tugging them on quickly and tucking the car seat handle into her elbow to wait for Raph. She was a little anxious to find out exactly what Mikey's issue was, but more anxious they would get questioned on their way out.

Returning quickly, Raph had his boots loosely done up with his oversized sweatpants tucked in messily. Whipping his leather jacket off of one of them many railings dotted around the lair pillars, he shrugged it on while silently approaching Stacey from behind. Leaning in to brush his lips against her ear, he murmured softly, "Come on, babe, move… move..." but not without a playful pinch of her backside. Sometimes he was surprised he behaved so well around her, and having to sneak around somehow made her curved form look even more enticing. 

Reaching the garage without any hint of being spotted, he hurried through after her and quickly pulled the large door shut behind them. Even without the click of the handle, he had a paranoid suspicion Leo has somehow noticed or sensed something was up. He sure as hell wasn't the lightest, and wasn't exactly the best at keeping his cool when he needed, but hoped with the added distraction of his girls he'd be get away scot-free. 

With Sera securely buckled in, no matter how much she protested, they moved out. Cruising with one hand on the wheel, his other absentmindedly running a finger along the stubble of his upper lip as he thought, the anger and disappointment returned. Letting out a heavy huff as he turned out on to the busy street toward the station, he glanced at Stacey before finally letting it out. "I ain't gonna hold back on him when I found out what he's done ya know… should'a brought a leash or chain, woman."

Stacey knew Raph was going to have something to say the instant he started rubbing his stubble in the way he always did when he was thinking. Given the situation, she would've assumed it anyway, since they were finally out and able to speak more or less freely. Still, she did her best to hide the small smirk trying to form on her lips, and turned slightly to run her hand through her hair and pull it over one shoulder. He may still have been a ninja and just successfully snuck up on her as they left, but he wasn't very good at hiding things from her when it came to his face.

"I am the leash, babe," she chuckled, sliding her hand up the inside of his forearm and pulling the worrying hand into her lap to give his hand a reassuring squeeze. "That's why Mikey called me. He may do stupid shit, but he's not an idiot."

Raph snorted and gave her another quick glance as he squeezed her hand back. "That's open for debate."

"Okay, okay," she rescinded with another laugh. "But my point still stands. Look, we don't wanna make a scene at the station, it's only going to draw more unwanted attention. We want them to think he's just some punk kid, just another run of the mill processing. We'll leave and they won't think another thing of it. We won't bring him back to the lair. We can bring him back to the apartment and you can let him have it, as long as we keep it down below 'domestic violence' levels. The roof is always an option, too."

Raph gave a small sideways bob of his head, obviously finding the option at least worth thought. Lifting his hand with both of hers, she kissed his knuckles, the tang of sweat and his wrappings from the workout still lingering. It comforted her. "But you better let me get a word in, too."

Another glance in her direction and a warm contented smile graced his lips, letting a small chuckle drain the rest of his frustration out again. Sighing, he relaxed a little in his seat, resisting the urge to pull over and return a kiss. 

"You got it, babe," he answered, nodding with a wide smile. "How about you get first word? Gotta be better than what I have on my mind." Trailing off as he checked both ways down the street before turning again, he cracked his neck as he caught glimpse of the sign directing to the police station. 

After a few minutes of driving around to find a decent enough parking space, somewhere distant enough from other cars so he didn't have to deal with anyone else more than he had to, he cut the ignition and rung the keys up into his fist. Gathering his thoughts again, he heaved himself up and out. "Come on then, princess, let's go and find uncle Mikey." Fetching Sera out of her car seat, he carried her close to his chest in one arm while gesturing 'ladies first' with the other to Stacey. "Lead on." Ignoring the playful roll of her eyes, he got his own back with another quick and cheeky pinch on her behind. Something he got away with in public a little too often, not that she honestly minded.

Tossing her hair and looking over her shoulder, Stacey tried to give Raph a stern look, but was grinning far too much to pull it off. "Playing with fire, Hamato," she teased, fixing her eyes on the path ahead of her as she walked, but couldn't resist giving a little wiggle in response as they made their way around the side of the building. As they reached the door, she stepped aside to let Raph push it open for her, and also to give him the opportunity to scan the room before she walked in.

Police stations were not her favorite place, and up until that point she'd been able to distract herself with reasoning with Raph to forget about it. As the familiar scent and the noise of phones, computers and talking hit her, she took a deep breath and shoved the memories of questioning and filling out charges and restraining orders out of her mind. It was old news and had nothing to do with why they were there, but she absently rubbed at her ribs and the phantom pains the place triggered. Catching herself, she slowed her steps just enough to take Raph's free hand in hers and walked up to the main desk. He would ground her in reality, and she could deal with the rest on her own time.

"We're here for the release of Michelangelo Hamato," she said evenly, but quietly to the officer after they waited in a short line for their turn. The man looked over the three of them with a lifted brow, his eyes lingering on both Stacey and Raph, though for opposite reasons that were obviously written across his expression. Licking her lips, she didn't have to look up at Raph to know that he noticed, as his hand tightened against hers and his arm went rigid. Physically restraining herself from sighing, she hoped that the encounter wouldn’t be made more difficult than it needed to be.

"Bring out Hamato!" the desk officer yelled over his shoulder, and Stacey pulled in tight, wrapping herself around Raph's arm while doing everything she could to make him take a few steps away from the desk while they waited. 

"Another routine processing," she murmured against his shoulder, looking up at him and willing him to look at her. Maybe he had been right, maybe she should've brought chains. "He wants to get a rise out of you because he's a loser and stuck behind a desk with nothing better to do, and you'd just be feeding his narrow minded, childish agenda. Let's just get Mikey and get the hell out of here with our skins intact."

"Miiiikeeeey!" Sera crowed again at her mother's words, her hands tangled in her father's hair and batting it around excitedly.

The breath Raph had been holding slowly escaped him through his nose, though his jaw and muscles remained tense. As his eyes scanned the back area impatiently, he remained silent, though he gave her hand a brief squeeze back to acknowledge her and kissed the top of Sera's head out of habit. Stacey worked hard to keep her own anxiety in check and forced herself to stand steady against him.

After what seemed like an eternity, a lithe police woman escorted a chatting blonde from the back rooms with a look of long suffering. She'd obviously been subjected to him for a while, and a small chuckle slipped from her as Sera called out his name again, even louder than before and drawing the attention of those waiting around them, but in a more pleasant fashion. Mikey's blue eyes instantly locked on them, and a broad smile crossed his face. As his arms lifted out in greeting, she was relieved to see that he was already out of cuffs. Definitely a bonus that diffused bystander attentions. Just a young, cheerful kid.

"Is that my favorite girl?" Mikey greeted Sera brightly as he and the officer walked up to the small family. He kept his arms outstretched, obviously expecting to be passed the tot, but as his eyes flickered up to his brother's penetrating glare, he chuckled nervously, slowly lowering his arms and rubbing his palms against his pants before leaning forward to give her a small nuzzle to placate her.

"Follow me, please," the officer beckoned, after giving the small group an appraising, curious look before leading them to her desk. "I just need to to sign his papers, then he's free to go. Is he always this chatty, or is it nerves?"

"Always," Stacey answered, giving him a look that he expectedly shrugged at. 

The officer’s eyes widened and she shook her head, giving her a contrite look as she slid the papers across her neat and orderly desk. Stacey was grateful for her discretion, not announcing the charges out loud, and she could feel Raph's scathing gaze over the top of her while Mikey wisely put her in between his brother and himself as she quickly read the papers. Vandalism? She lifted an eyebrow curiously, not expecting that, though the location made sense enough. She scanned further down and sighed at the fine listed above the signature lines, already signed by Mikey and the officer. At least they had 30 days to pay, and she checked off the "pay by mail" box.

Scanning over the papers quickly, the officer nodded and filed it immediately into a folder, stacking it neatly on her desk and putting her hands on her hips as she looked back up. "That's it then. You're free to go. Please."

Mikey clicked his heels together and saluted her, causing her to sigh and roll her eyes, and Stacey gave him a small shove towards the door. "Go," she grumbled, her eyes flickering to Raph and knowing it was only a matter of time before he couldn't bite his tongue any longer. As if on cue, he ushered them both towards the door.

***


	3. Get Out of Jail Almost Free Card

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikey has been released into his brothers custody, but is that going to be worse than being locked up?

Once in they were outside in the lot, Mikey sagged with relief and turned to face them both, walking backwards. "Oh my god, thank you guys soooo much for coming to get me. If Leo-"

"Don't you thank me yet! You might wish it was Leo when we're done with you!" Stacey hissed, taking a step in quickly as they reached the car and he stopped. Leaning in, she flicked his forehead. "Vandalism?! What the hell, Mikey?"

His answer was delayed as Raph shoved him unceremoniously into the back seat, slamming the door before going to get himself and Sera in. Stacey dropped into the car, only to spin around and look at him. "Well, see, there was this girl..."

"Oh my god, Michelangelo, don't you dare tell me that this was-"

"No, no, it's not like that!" he quickly interrupted, holding both hands up. "I swear."

If Raph kept his jaw clenched much longer than he had, there was a reasonable chance he wouldn't have had any teeth left from grinding them. Fists painfully clamped on the wheel, he struggled with keeping himself from tearing it off and smashing his brother across the head with it. To say he was seething was an understatement. 

"Mikey..." he started, a low raspy growl rumbling from his chest. "If you know what's good for ya, you better keep your mouth SHUT until we're at the apartment." He didn't have to turn around to see the cowering puppy-dog face in the seat behind him. He rarely used that tone with him, especially in front of Sera. It was mostly disappointment, but his rage had reached its boiling point after the arrogant officer decided to throw a spanner in the lot of it. "Not. A. Word." Throwing him just a sharp glare through the rear-view-mirror, he was glad his brother had the common sense to just nod and seal his lips. Silently firing up the engine again, he headed up and out of the car park quickly and back toward Stacey's apartment. 

Admittedly, there was an awkward, deafening silence along the way, and seeing her glance up at him now and then in his peripherals certainly made his stomach flop. There was little that could be done to sate his anger when he was in that state, and she understood that better than anyone else. Part of him felt guilty, almost as if he were taking advantage of her understanding, but they had seen each other through enough that he knew she would insist it was mutual care. Sometimes, they both just needed a little bit of time to process to get a grip on their anger... although it seemed to him that it was him far more frequently than her. 

After what felt like an eternity, he reached her apartment block, pulling up in the private parking lot beside it and turned off the engine. Instead of storming out of the car, dragging Mikey out by his hair or even reaching back to strangle him there and then, he stayed sat in his seat. Looking out at the lot of cars around them, he calmly stated, "Stace, you take Sera inside. I'll be there in a minute." Running his finger along his upper lip with his eyes slightly narrowed, focused on the other cars as he waited for her to finally and reluctantly undo her belt to open her door. Opening her mouth to speak, she quickly shut it again as she reconsidered. Clearly he needed to speak to his brother, alone, no matter how reckless it seemed with his temper where it was. 

Once both girls were out of the car, Sera whining and threatening tears as she pined for her father, Raphael finally let in a heavy sigh and shut his eyes. Running his hands over his face, he growled and threw his head back against the headrest. Hearing his daughters upset was not improving his mood any towards Mikey, even if he knew it was a temporary state. "So, explain yourself. Make it good, because I ain't got a great deal of fuse left, ya hear me?"

Huffing out a long sigh that puffed his cheeks out, Mikey pulled off his hat and tugged it onto his knee, ruffling his hands through his hair before scratching at his scruff in thought. Sitting there in the backseat and being questioned by a dangerous man in the front seat made him think of those mafia movies, all he was missing was the guy in the backseat holding a gun to his ribs. Which gave him the mental image of Sera in a tiny suit and hat holding a gun to him, going, "Nyah, see?"

The train of thought would get him in trouble, and he wisely stifled the grin that threatened to spread across his face. Raph was being honest, he only had so much fuse to work with and sitting there silently would only accelerate it. Especially with Sera and Stacey gone. To be honest, he had really hoped they would be able to stay as a group, acting as buffers, but he had known it was a pipe dream. In reality, they had done more than he could hope for. Back in the day, Raph would've taken the station by storm and by the end of it, there would've been a good chance they both would've been in lockup. The fact he had made it through the station, out the door, to the apartment parking lot, and past Stacey and Sera leaving without snapping spoke tons to the ladies influence on his life. And it wasn't an opportunity he was looking to blow.

Knowing he had to speak quickly, he stressed over how to say it. With Raph you really needed to be to the point, but carefully so. They both shared the trait of preferring things explained simply, Raph just happened to get mad about it. Really, he had always been closest to Raph while they grew up, for a lot of reasons, and the disappointment evident in his voice actually upset him. If Leo had been disappointed, it didn't really matter, because it seemed like Leo always was with him. Donnie wouldn't understand, and would just go on about how disappointing his stupid choices were. But Raph... Raph got it. He was disappointed because he cared. And that level of shame could only be challenged if their father had known and was disappointed in him.

Sighing again, he leaned forward with his elbows against his knees, staring at the laces on his shoes. "I was down at the skatepark like I said I would be," he started, hoping that having been truthful would earn him some points from the get-go. "There's been this mural on one of the walls I've been keeping an eye on. I mean, graffiti, but some next level shit. Real talent. That alone would've caught my eye but it was like... like an offering. A lot of love even though it kept getting painted over. The subject matter? Our kanjii tag." Mikey didn't have to look up to notice Raph had pivoted in his seat diagonally ahead of him, alarms going off everywhere in his head. So he kept talking before he could spin up. "So I kept going over, hoping I'd get to see who was doing it. And today was that day, dude. They were there, working on it, and I couldn't not go over. I thought it was a dude this whole time. Turns out it was a chick."

"Jesus Christ," Raph swore thickly, rolling his head back against the headrest with a thunk. "Mikey-"

"Bro, I'm tellin you it wasn't like that. I mean, yeah, she's hot. But that isn't the point. She's been working on this thing for months . Real talent and dedication. So I went over to talk to her, find out why. Why our tag? Why us? And... I mighta kinda offered to help in the process," he added the last bit quickly, his face screwing up and waiting to get cuffed.

"In broad fuckin' daylight?! That's-"

He couldn't handle Raph thinking he was stupid, so he interrupted and said it for him. "It's real stupid, I know, okay? Whole 'nother level stupid! Trust me, I know!" Sitting back up, he let himself fall back against the seat and rubbed his face. "But Raph, you didn't hear her. You didn't see it. She was thanking us! Putting herself out there to try and make sure we knew we were appreciated. How often do we get that? How often will someone stand up and say they think we're doing the right thing? She said that knowing we were out there made her feel safe walking home from work. Dude, we're making a difference!"

Raph had stilled, and turned his face away, and he couldn't see his expression to try and figure out what was going on in his mind. So he soldiered on, deciding to finish the story and take what was coming. "So I helped her. With all the noise in the park, I didn't hear the jingling of the cops equipment with enough notice. I coulda ditched and ran. But she wouldn't have made it. And I couldn't let her take the fall for doing something to thank us. I wouldn't. So I took the bag and made her run, knowing that one punk kid would be enough to distract them into not looking after her. Seems to be our lot, huh? Leo and Donnie got it easy, always looking all respectable. You and me, though, 'the thug and the punk.' Figured I'd use it to someone's advantage for once."

The more Mikey spoke, the more his rage seemed to simmer down, quieting into a mess of questions. He almost felt like he had become as curious as his brother now. What was left of his anger seemed to have no subject to land on, after hearing his reasons and that alone was frustrating. Keeping his head turned away he zoned out a little, his mind trying to connect the dots, but over thinking was one of his habits. There had been more occurrences of it getting him into trouble or overcomplicating his life than he cared to admit, and damn, the last thing he needed was to have a bunch of those memories rising back up again to fuel his fire. 

The main issue at hand was thankfully complicated enough to keep them at bay, however. What if the girl knew who he was? What if Mikey was careless and let it slip? What if they were found out? Losing a hand to his locks, he found himself threading and twisting them subconsciously through his fingers. There was a long painful silence before he could weave a sentence together that he felt content with. "You're lucky, boy. Almost too fuckin' lucky at times," he started gruffly. "If you ain't careful, it's gonna run out. And for our sake, MY sake? That can't happen." Surprisingly calm, it made the blonde wince a little, anxious that it was the calm before the storm. Inhaling deeply, Raph then rubbed his face, pushing his loose dreads back out of his way. As he exhaled, he shuffled heavily to turn and face his brother, his face a disappointed scowl yet his eyes surprisingly soft. Soft as he looked, the response Mikey had been waiting for came spilling out of him like the thunder of a renewed storm."That was a really fucking stupid ass move you pulled today, and you fuckin' know that. I mean, fuck! What if she worked it out? What if she knew who you were, huh? Then what?" 

"Come on, man! How would-" 

"Mikey! I'm only sayin' this shit cuz I care, dude. I'm your brother. I can't always protect you from shit so just - Ugh." Throwing himself back straight in his seat, he closed his eyes and fell his head back against the headrest again. "Just be careful, please? I get it, I get the whole appreciation, the talent, just... be careful." He really didn't want to dash his dreams or make him feel bad for helping the girl, but his protective nature as a brother, and even as a father, made him even more untrusting of strangers. He couldn't help the cynicism and prayed it didn't damage any trust he had with his loved ones. Tilting his head a little so he could direct his voice back, he swallowed the guilt in his throat and spoke softly again. "You know, think I woulda done the same in your place." As the words left his lips, he couldn't help by grin a little, pivoting a little more in his seat again to face his brother. "Jus' don't let me catch you tagging anythin' else. Alright?"

What a rollercoaster of emotion he saw play out within his brother. It was all expected to him, of course, it had just ended quite a bit better than he had even dared to hope. Raph was Raph. He always would be the type to feel too deeply, worry too much and have a hard time dealing with all of it. However, as he watched the loops and turns, he couldn't help but notice the difference in him. He was really changing, all for the better, and it made him truly happy. He was well aware of the fact there was a slim chance Raph noticed, and if he did, an even slimmer chance he'd give himself the credit he was due.

Aside from that, the disappointment and concern was still hard to take. It made him feel a bit selfish, knowing Raph would understand but struggle, and choosing him over Donnie and Leo for that reason. His eyes had a softness to them that reminded him of when they were much younger, and he would sneak into Raph's room in the middle of the night after having a nightmare. Grumbling and growling about being woken up, his eyes would have the same softness and concern about them, amber glinting in the dark just like they were in the car. Grudgingly, he'd usher him back to his own bed, getting his blankets straightened back out and tucked around him, promising to stay there until he fell back asleep. More than once he woke up and found Raph asleep, propped into a sitting position against the bed, facing the door. He always pretended to be asleep when Raph would try and sneak back out after the sun, glancing back over his shoulder with a same small grin.

In light of the memory, it made Mikey proud enough to forget the disappointment to know that Raph would've done the same, and acknowledged it. Anything else he had to say in his defense just evaporated, and his characteristic lopsided grin spread across his face. "Ninja scout promise!" he swore, holding a hand up in oath, and he found himself unable to remain serious. 

That loosed a small chuckle from Raph, a small smile to gracing his brothers scarred lips. Glancing back with a shake of his head, he sighed, "Alright, and jus' so you know, you owe me now. Dunno what I'm gonna have ya do yet... but it's gonna be good." With his confident smirk, he flashed Mikey a wink before nodding his head toward the apartment building. "Come on, get out. You have to go and thank Stacey now since you rang her." Opening the car door and sliding out, he cracked his neck, ruffled a hand through his locks and rolled his shoulders back, easing out the knots he had gotten from the stress of it all. 

As Mikey appeared out of his side of the car, he blew another puff out air out and sheepishly grinned up at him, almost like a cheeky puppy. "Thanks bro, you're the best." 

"Oh I know, now fuck off before I take you back to the station." With a playful - but still heavy - punch to the youngers arm, Raph rolled his eyes and followed casually. What was he gonna do with him? 

As he watched the blonde rub his arm and jog off toward the apartment stairs, opting for them rather than the elevator to run out some of that remaining adrenaline from earlier, Raph chewed his lip in thought. What he had experienced at the skatepark made him a little curious too. Having someone other than his brothers or even his master spread their symbol was still foreign to him. Maybe it was just a fluke? Probably wouldn't happen again after the cops nearly caught them both. Probably scared the girl off for good, if there was any luck to be had, and they could simply put it all behind them.

Grabbing the railings and using them to assist in skipping multiple stairs at a time, Mikey paused and leaned over, looking for his slower paced brother. Opening his mouth to taunt him into following faster, he quickly closed it again, thinking better of it. He'd probably tempted fate enough for one day, or at least that hour. Part of him wished deep down that sensei would use his ESP, or whatever it was that he had that always made him seem to know what was going on, to see that he had actually managed to keep his mouth shut for once. On the other hand, his father having any idea about what had transpired that day was something he'd rather avoid altogether, so he kinda hoped he kept his focus elsewhere. 

After making it down the familiar hallway, he gave Stacey's door a soft knock before swinging it open. "Hola chicas!" He greeted brightly, scanning the room quickly before noticing them in the kitchen, Sera on Stacey's hip as her mother was prepping a drink in a sippy cup. "Where is my favorite girl?"

"Miiikeeeey! Mikeymikeymikey!" the little girl squealed, forgetting all thoughts of her drink and struggling against Stacey to get to him. Holding out his arms again, he grinned hopefully up at Stacey that time, that he might get to hold her. 

Arching an eyebrow and staring at him for a moment, she sighed and shifted her hip over, offering her to him. "Go on, then. I'm bribing her as it is, after taking her away from Raph. If I deny her you again, she'll be a monster until bedtime."

"A monster? No! Not you! Not my perfect little dragon slaying princess!" He cooed, scooping her into the air weightlessly. Letting her giggle warm his heart, he pulled her in close, walking his fingers down her round little belly. "Oh no. Ohhh no. What's under here, huh?"

“Beebo!” she squeaked, shoulders scrunching in anticipation and golden eyes sparkling up at him. 

“A beebo? What? Are you sure?” he teased, slowly pulling up her shirt. Chuckling, he gave her bellybutton a poke before lifting her up and voraciously zerbering her belly. The peals of laughter that erupted out of her, so pure and innocent were one of his favorite sounds. 

“D’you do what I told you?” came Raph’s voice from behind him, and Mikey turned to look up sheepishly. His arms were folded with one of his scarred eyebrows raised at him, but Mikey knew when he was trying to hide a grin and that was one of those moments. He was fairly convinced he could get away with just about anything as long as he could make Sera laugh. Well, maybe not anything. But a lot.

As his niece squealed for her father and wriggled in his grip, so he walked over to pass her off, but the tenacious girl wrapped her arms around Raph’s arm and her legs around Mikey’s arm, giggling. “So this is happening,” Mikey chuckled, giving his arm a test shake.

“Do what?” Stacey asked, giggling. “I was thinking you looked pretty unscathed, all things considered. Thought you might have made a run for it before he gave you what for.”

Tickling Sera again until she squirmed enough for him to slip his arm out of her leg grip, he made sure Raph had her scooped up securely (not like he needed to) before spinning and giving Stacey a grateful hug. “Thanks for being the most awesome sister ever, and like, you know, ‘getting it’.”

“You know I’m happy to,” she answered, hugging back. “Just don’t make me regret it, okay?”

“Ninja scout promise,” he repeated, before being tugged back off her by the scruff of his shirt. Raph gave him his ubiquitous ‘don’t push it’ look, which he just shrugged off with a grin. He knew he wasn’t really threatened, and mostly just messing with him.

“But!” Stacey added, lifting a finger and pointing it at him. “I’m not gonna feed you until you tell me what happened. And I don’t care if you told him already! I want it straight from you.”

“Oh, that’s harsh, sis! I’m starving!” Mikey protested, but seeing her lifted eyebrows and folded arms, he knew she was going to be just as stubborn as Raph about it. Damn if he didn’t pick well. Sighing, he plopped himself on one of the stools at the breakfast bar, regaling it over again, though perhaps with less emotion than he had with Raph.

As he expected, Stacey had started to busy herself in the kitchen as he talked, listening quietly, yet intently. As he finished up, she quirked a small, knowing smile at him and put a hand on her hip, and he suddenly felt like she was looking right through him. Jesus, if that’s what Raph was subjected to, no wonder he didn’t hide stuff from her. “So it had nothing to do with the girl, huh?”

“Not like that!” he protested.

“Uh huh,” Stacey said, keeping him in her sights. “Because a Hamato boy would never go out of his way to keep a girl he was possibly interested in safe and out of trouble. Completely unprecedented.” Her gaze shifted over to Raph, as did Mikey’s. 

Hell, that look brought back some memories and he almost had to look away sheepishly. Shrugging it off, he played it cool with a smug grin and a quick glance to Sera who was happily making a tangle of his locks. Raph guessed it must have been a family trait. 'Knights-in-shining-armour', or rather ninjas in abstracted fighting gear. Couldn't be a bad thing though, right? 

"I don't see you complaining, babe," he chuckled, flashing a wink at Stacey. "Look, jus' be careful, alright? I know I ain't the best role model and whatever, jus' don't go gettin' too deep into this. Ya don't know this girl." There he went again, playing the protective brother card. He knew Mikey wasn't that stupid, but he could let his heart run away with his head at times, charging head first into trouble without a second thought. He wasn't surprised when the blonde playfully rolled his eyes at the comment. 

"He has a point though, Mikey, and you know he does," Stacey piped up, forcing her stern stare on him but it wasn't at all aggressive, just protective and cautious. "We're not going to lecture you all day, just saying this because we care. Okay?" 

"You got it, thanks, mama bear." Then, with a bright freckled grin, he was off the hook, for how long though he didn't know. Frankly, he didn't care all too much, merely thankful his day hadn't gone as south as he dreaded it would.

Dinner was amazing, not that he expected any different, and Mikey ate until he couldn't stuff another bite in. The evening had quickly shifted back to their normal dynamic, and he let himself relax in the comfort of it. Offering to help out with Sera's bathtime for the extra brownie points, he splashed and played and laughed until she was pruning up and he needed a towel as well. Handing the towel wrapped bundle off to Stacey for the bedtime routine, he stepped out of the way quietly and watched the small family with a yearning pang in his heart. Someday, he told himself. 

Heading back home wasn't the highest thing on his list of wants, but once Sera was in bed it was hard to miss the stolen glances between Raph and Stacey when they thought he wasn't looking. Figuring he had imposed enough, and really, knowing Raph needed that time away with her to recharge, he quickly said his thank yous again and made his way out, opting for the rooftops to parkour home. He had an alibi in them, so putting Leo off for having been gone wouldn't be too hard. Family was family. But he still needed to clear his head. Come up with a plan. Foremost, he had to see her again. There had to be a good reason, though, so he didn't seem creepy. He felt bad about losing her bag, what if he replaced it? There was a bag he had stowed in his closet with random patches sewn to it for bands and the like. It was about the right size, too. He could put in some of his own sprays as well, though the majority were black and red, and he didn't want to be overly obvious. There were some blue, purple and orange as well, he could throw them in. Maybe even stop at a few stores and buy a few neons, just for her. 

It was a good plan, and it made him happy to think of getting it back to her, only a little personalized. Maybe she wouldn't like it, but maybe she would. He had to find her first, and that was the crux of it. Plus he'd have to wait a while for things to die down a bit. Raph especially would be keeping an eye on him to turn around and do something foolish, so he'd have to keep up the status quo. Annoy him by being so normally himself that he gave up and focused on other things like arguing with Leo. Yeah, he could do that. 

Smiling, he leapt across a building divide, reveling in the momentary weightlessness and how it mimicked the feeling in his heart.

***


End file.
